Combining impact goal and impact descriptor frameworks to elucidate the societal impacts of research: a pilot study

Abstract

Universities, researchers and funders are increasingly asking how research contributes to positive changes in society and the environment, and seeking ways to document and describe impacts consistently across diverse disciplines and organisational scales. The societal impacts framework presented in this pilot study uses a combination of impact goal and impact descriptor frameworks to elucidate the societal impacts of research. The framework blends elements of assessment-driven and mission-driven reporting frameworks, and was administered online to volunteers from one interdisciplinary environmental research institute. The 12 projects in the pilot study addressed 15 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and all 12 projects reported impacts in two or more of six impact descriptor categories. We also identified an impact subcategory dealing with changes to higher education practice. Combining two types of impacts frameworks – societal goals and descriptors of changes – allowed us to understand how the research projects contributed to broad societal goals, not just that they addressed the goals. Responses from study participants indicated a good fit between the framework and their research efforts. However, we found that the online reporting tool, in its current form, was not effective in eliciting full and accurate reports from all participants. We reflect upon how to improve data collection in the future, as well as on opportunities for additional tests of the framework in new contexts.